Free MPRE Practice Test
Original MPRE practice questions written to NCBE’s subject matter outline, with an explanation for every answer.
A lawyer uses an overseas vendor to review documents for a client. The lawyer gives no instructions about confidentiality and never checks the vendor's work. Which statement is correct?
344 original questions · 46 conflicts of interest questions, the largest area · 24 judicial conduct questions on the Model Code
MPRE practice questions by area
NCBE’s subject matter outline divides the MPRE into twelve areas and gives each a range of the exam. Each area has a guide with free sample questions and a free ten-question drill with an explanation after every answer.
Regulation of the Profession (6–12%)
Area I · about 3 to 6 of 50 scored questions
Bar admission and discipline, reporting misconduct, unauthorized and multijurisdictional practice, fee sharing with nonlawyers, firm structures, supervisory duties and restrictions on the right to practice.
Client-Lawyer Relationship (10–16%)
Area II · about 5 to 8 of 50 scored questions
Forming the relationship, scope and limited-scope representation, who decides what, counseling within the law, communication, withdrawal and fees.
Confidentiality (6–12%)
Area III · about 3 to 6 of 50 scored questions
The attorney-client privilege, work product, the professional duty of confidentiality, authorized disclosures and the exceptions in Rule 1.6.
Conflicts of Interest (12–18%)
Area IV · about 6 to 9 of 50 scored questions
Current, former and prospective client conflicts, personal-interest conflicts, imputation and screening, business transactions, third-party payment and former government lawyers and judges.
Competence and Malpractice (6–12%)
Area V · about 3 to 6 of 50 scored questions
Maintaining and acquiring competence, diligence, malpractice and fiduciary claims, liability to nonclients, limiting liability and malpractice insurance.
Litigation and Advocacy (10–16%)
Area VI · about 5 to 8 of 50 scored questions
Meritorious claims, expediting litigation, candor to the tribunal and false evidence, fairness to the other side, decorum, trial publicity and the lawyer as witness.
Dealing with Nonclients (2–8%)
Area VII · about 1 to 4 of 50 scored questions
Truthfulness to others, the no-contact rule for represented persons, dealing with unrepresented persons and respect for the rights of third persons.
Roles of the Lawyer (4–10%)
Area VIII · about 2 to 5 of 50 scored questions
The lawyer as advisor, evaluator, negotiator and third-party neutral, the special duties of prosecutors, nonadjudicative proceedings and representing an organization.
Safekeeping Property (2–8%)
Area IX · about 1 to 4 of 50 scored questions
Client trust accounts and commingling, advance fees, property of clients and third persons, accountings and disputed funds.
Advertising and Solicitation (4–10%)
Area X · about 2 to 5 of 50 scored questions
Advertising and misleading communications, live person-to-person solicitation, group legal services, paying for referrals and claims of specialization.
Duties to the Public (2–4%)
Area XI · about 1 to 2 of 50 scored questions
Pro bono service, court appointments, legal services and law reform organizations, criticism of judges, political contributions and improper influence.
Judicial Conduct (2–8%)
Area XII · about 1 to 4 of 50 scored questions
Independence and impartiality, competence and diligence, ex parte communications, disqualification and extrajudicial and political activities under the Model Code of Judicial Conduct.
Ready for the full exam?
60 questions in 2 hours, drawn inside NCBE’s range for each area, scored on the 50 that count, with an explanation for every answer.
Or start with a free drillThe MPRE at a glance
Answer MPRE practice questions written to NCBE’s subject matter outline, read the explanation for every answer, then take a timed 60-question, 2-hour practice exam in the real format with a score for every area.
The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) writes the MPRE to measure knowledge of the established standards for lawyers’ and judges’ professional conduct; NCBE says it is not a test of personal ethical values. 60,954 people took it across the three 2025 administrations, with a mean scaled score of 95.6, according to NCBE’s published statistics.
- Exam
- Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE), developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE). Required for bar admission in every US jurisdiction except Wisconsin and Puerto Rico; Connecticut and New Jersey also accept a law school professional responsibility course instead
- Format
- 60 multiple-choice questions with four options each: 50 scored and 10 unscored pretest questions that look the same as the others. Wrong answers cost nothing
- Time
- Two hours. The session ends automatically at two hours, and there are no scheduled breaks
- Content
- The law governing lawyers and judges: the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, the ABA Model Code of Judicial Conduct, controlling constitutional decisions and generally accepted principles from leading cases, with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Evidence for procedural questions. Rule amendments are tested no earlier than one year after the ABA adopts them
- Scoring
- A scaled score from 50 to 150, equated across test forms. NCBE says it is not possible to know in advance how many correct answers a given scaled score will need
- Passing score
- Set by each jurisdiction, from 75 to 86 in NCBE’s 2025 list: for example 75 in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, 80 in Florida and Illinois, 85 in New York and Texas, 86 in California and Utah
- Fee
- $185 for every 2026 and 2027 administration, paid to Pearson when you schedule; rescheduling within the same administration costs $25
- When and where
- Three times a year, in March, August and November, on computers at Pearson VUE test centers. Scores are usually released within five weeks
Where the MPRE fits in bar admission
- Check your jurisdiction’s rules: its passing score, when you may take the MPRE and how long a score counts. NCBE’s jurisdiction map links to every bar admission agency.
- Register with NCBE before the deadline, name the jurisdiction that should receive your score, then schedule with Pearson and pay the $185 fee.
- Take the 60-question exam in 2 hours at a Pearson test center.
- Your score is usually posted to your NCBE account within five weeks and sent to the jurisdiction you named; other jurisdictions need a score report request.
Many law students take the MPRE during law school, after a professional responsibility course, so it is out of the way before bar exam study begins.
How to use this MPRE prep
- Take the free mixed drill to see where you stand across all twelve areas.
- Drill conflicts of interest first: at 12-18% it is the largest area, and conflict analysis also appears in other areas.
- Work through the client-lawyer relationship and litigation and advocacy (10-16% each), then confidentiality, regulation and competence (6-12% each).
- Finish with the smaller areas: advertising, the roles of the lawyer, trust accounts, dealing with nonclients, judicial conduct and duties to the public.
- Take the full 60-question practice exam under the 2-hour clock, then drill your two lowest areas and take it again. Each new sitting draws questions you have not seen first.
Common questions
How many questions are on the MPRE?
60 multiple-choice questions, each with four options. 50 are scored; the other 10 are unscored pretest questions that NCBE is trying out. They look the same as the rest, so answer every question. Wrong answers are not subtracted from your score.
How long is the MPRE?
Two hours, about two minutes per question. The session ends automatically when the two hours are up, and there are no scheduled breaks; the clock keeps running during any break you take.
What is a passing score on the MPRE?
Each jurisdiction sets its own passing score on NCBE’s 50 to 150 scale. In NCBE’s 2025 list they ran from 75 (for example New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Georgia) to 86 (California and Utah), with 80 and 85 the most common. NCBE does not publish how many correct answers equal a scaled score, so our practice exam shows your percent correct overall and in each area, not a pass line.
How much does the MPRE cost?
$185 for every 2026 and 2027 administration, paid to Pearson when you schedule your appointment. Moving your appointment within the same administration costs $25; you cannot move a registration to a different administration.
When is the MPRE offered?
Three times a year. NCBE lists November 12-13, 2026, March 23-24, 2027, August 18-19, 2027 and November 4-5, 2027. Registration closes weeks before each one, and you must finish NCBE’s registration, schedule with Pearson and pay by the deadline.
Which states require the MPRE?
Every US jurisdiction except Wisconsin and Puerto Rico. Connecticut and New Jersey also accept a law school course in professional responsibility instead of a passing MPRE score. Check your bar admission agency for its passing score and any time limit on scores.
What does the MPRE test?
The law governing the conduct of lawyers and judges, mainly the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct and the ABA Model Code of Judicial Conduct. NCBE’s outline has twelve areas; conflicts of interest is the largest at 12-18%, followed by the client-lawyer relationship and litigation and advocacy at 10-16% each. It is not a test of your personal ethical values.
Does NCBE sell MPRE practice exams?
Yes. NCBE publishes free sample questions and sells Simulated MPRE 1, 2 and 3, each with 60 previously used MPRE questions and explanations, for $50 each or $125 for all three. The questions on this site are original practice written to NCBE’s outline; they are not NCBE questions.
Is this MPRE practice exam the same format as the real exam?
Yes. It is 60 four-option questions in two hours: 50 scored questions drawn inside NCBE’s range for each area plus 10 unscored pretest questions mixed in. You can skip, go back and mark questions for review. The result shows your score on the 50 scored questions, a score for every area and an explanation for every question.
Ready for test day?
60 questions in 2 hours, drawn inside NCBE’s range for each area, scored on the 50 that count, with an explanation for every answer.
Or start with a free drillSources
- NCBE: About the MPRE (length, administrations, jurisdictions)
- NCBE: Preparing for the MPRE (format, pretest questions, subject matter)
- NCBE: MPRE Subject Matter Outline (PDF)
- NCBE: MPRE Key Words and Phrases (PDF)
- NCBE: MPRE Registration (fee, dates, rescheduling)
- NCBE: MPRE Scores (scale, equating, release)
- NCBE: MPRE Test Day Policies
- The Bar Examiner: 2025 MPRE statistics (examinees, mean score, passing scores)
- ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct
- ABA Model Code of Judicial Conduct
Original practice questions for exam preparation, written to NCBE’s MPRE Subject Matter Outline and the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct and Model Code of Judicial Conduct; they are not NCBE questions. Independent practice, not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), the American Bar Association or Pearson VUE. MPRE is a mark of NCBE. Check your jurisdiction’s bar admission agency for its requirements.